Asia-Pacific News
Nine anti-coup leaders arrested in Thailand
Jul 26, 2007, 8:15 GMT
Bangkok - Nine leaders of a violent anti-coup demonstration held over the weekend in Bangkok were arrested Thursday after hearing police charges against them.
Jakrapob Penkair, one of the leaders of the United Front for Democracy and Against Dictatorship (UDD), said their arrest warrants had been issued by Criminal Court Judge Korpong Suwannajuta.
Their detention caught the nine anti-coup organizers by surprise because on Wednesday the court had said no arrest warrant would be necessary if the defendants appeared voluntarily to hear police charges at the court at 10:00 am.
'This is a great betrayal of our trust,' Jakrapob said in a telephone interview with Deutsche Presee-Agentur dpa. 'We came to the court expecting to hear the police accusations and then to walk out of here.'
He said the defendants were refusing to leave the courtroom on the 12th floor of the court building on Rajadapiset Road in Bangkok.
The nine UDD leaders have been charged with organizing a gathering of more than 10 people, creating instability, causing traffic jams and using amplified sound without proper permits, said Weng Tojirakan, another UDD leader.
The UDD organized a mass rally of some 5,000 people outside the private home of former Thai prime minister General Prem Tinsulanonda on Sunday night in an effort to make him resign his position as president of the privy council, which acts as an advisory board to Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
When police attempted to detain the rally's leaders, fights broke out and an estimated 100 demonstrators and 200 police were injured.
The incident was unique in that it was the first demonstration over the past two years of political turmoil to end in violence.
Mass demonstrations became a daily occurrence in Bangkok early last year as the country's elite and middle classes turned against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and demanded his resignation.
Thaksin was eventually ousted by a military coup on September 19. The UDD, comprising pro-democracy activists such as Weng and pro-Thaksin politicians such as Jakrapob, sprung up in the wake of the coup.
The movement's broad goals are to discredit the coup, revoke all acts committed by the junta and call for immediate elections.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
The coup has no credit at all, taking all people's rights, destroyed democracy. They shoud be the professional army, protect our country, not fighting with the majority of the people who are their boss.
We have been so suffering since the coup destroied our democracy,the best old one constitution and our dream for oust the best prime minister in mind Thaksin from us.
World's people ' Would you please help us ! at least help to blame the Coup or Junta who are the devil and political crime '
Every day the Coup deceive, cheat, suppression,lies many thai people by the way threat all of the Thai Televisions station to discradit anti-coup while praise them over the true.
Help me don' t let us in hell like this other same man kind on this earth...
We would like the world to condem the military junta and the traditional dictatorship system in Thailand.
The event on July 22 night is unacceptable and violates fundamental rights of people. The police and military junta have no right to use violent ways to broke up the people demonstration by all mean. I believe that this was one of many dirty plans of the Thai military junta to use violent way to deal with the protester.
Prem is an ordinary man like the others and he is strongly believed by most people that he is behind the latest coup. This is beyond his duty and it is the main reason why people have to protest against his political interventions.
All Civilised World should pay more attention to the barbaric junta act to beat up empty-handed Sr.Thai Citizen and Innocent Children with a brutally method. The UN and Human Right Group around the world must step in and stop Thai's bloodthirsty dictator to suppress all Thais.
I agree with all the comments.
All smart people have been banned and prohibited from serving the Thai people. This is an english interview of one of one of the anticoup leaders...
This is just one of a few voices blocked by the government.
I just wanted to let the world hear what is going on in Thailand.
www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/sound/file/chak1.mp3
www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/sound/file/chak2.mp3
www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/sound/file/chak3.mp3
About fifty years ago, when Thailand was ruled by Dictatorship, Full Marshal Por Piboonsongkram, Two Thai representatives was brutally killed near the capital and the bodies were brutally pressed with red hot iron before death.
Four more were shot dead nearby Bangkok. During Field Marshal Salid Thanarat many victim were excecuted, to stop burnt houses for insurance.
Many more happened when Thailand was ruled by Dictator. Now another Dictator, Prem Tinnasularnon, Sonti Boonyaratgarin, Saprang Kalayanamit and the Gang come to rule Thailand by gun-point and tanks.
Please help Thai people free Thailand.
Coup was staged by a Muslim general, who before that was promoted by Thaksin. Since all Muslims are brothers, there is hidden agenda to work towards the southern Thai Muslim provinces breaking away from Thailand. What is happening in Thailand's south is an exact replica of Philipine's south. In both instances, the mediator is a territory-grabbing ( of Christian northern part of Borneo island) very Muslim radical regime and neighbour. The non-Muslim countries worldwide cannot see what destruction is planned for their future, when supremacy in arms will be of no more advantage!
page: 1
Thai PersonJul 26th, 2007 - 09:38:19
General Prem has been living in a State owned house for the past 20 years. The protest was held in public place in front of a state owned house, not belonging to Prem's.
He has no business using our tax money to pay for his living expenses. Other privy counsil members live in their own homes. Why Prem receives special treatment, I have no idea!!!
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